Medicaid Waiver Extension is Good News for Central City Concern

On Friday, Jan. 13, Governor Brown announced the federal
government extended Oregon’s Medicaid Demonstration Waiver for another five years, effective immediately to run through June 2022.

“This is great news for Central City Concern,” said Executive Director Ed Blackburn. “As a health care provider serving people with very low incomes or
experiencing homelessness, we have many patients who are highly dependent on Medicaid to access medical, mental health, and substance use disorder
treatment.”

In 2013, the year before Medicaid expansion in Oregon, 47 percent of CCC’s patients were uninsured; two years later in 2015, only 11 percent of CCC’s patients
lacked health insurance coverage. This expansion of Medicaid coverage improved CCC patients' access to needed care as well as enabling CCC to offer
a more intensive care model that responds appropriately to the needs of these high-risk populations. Without Medicaid expansion, CCC could lose the
capacity to serve as many as 2,000 homeless and very low-income patients.

“We treat every patient as an individual,” said Blackburn, “and many of those individuals rely on the Oregon Health Plan to access desperately needed services.
Lisa G. is just one example of the many people who need this support and benefited from Oregon’s Medicaid expansion here at CCC.”

Lisa G. was terrified of losing her health insurance. Before Medicaid expansion, the Oregon Health Plan denied her coverage three times. “It’s something
I think about all the time. Without the Oregon Health Plan,” Lisa said, “I just don’t know where I’d be.”

Lisa, 23, used drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine for five years. She also struggled with bipolar disorder, which further complicated her ability
to stop using drugs. She tried quitting with no luck, until eight months ago when she accessed recovery support services through CCC. In Lisa’s case,
medication assisted treatment helped her tackle her opioid addiction, so she could then focus on her severe bipolar disorder and other medical issues
at CCC’s Old Town Clinic.

Lisa now lives in supportive alcohol and drug-free recovery housing and works in CCC’s On-Call Staffing program. She hopes one day to become a peer mentor
and help others to overcome their opioid addiction. Without Medicaid expansion, Lisa wouldn’t have had access to critical recovery services that led
to integrated health care, housing and employment services.

“Medicaid not only supports these individuals in their health and well-being,” said Blackburn, “but also leverages other resources such as housing and
employment, further enhancing the health and well-being of our entire community. Though there are uncertainties about health care on the national scene,
we’re tremendously relieved Oregon’s Medicaid Waiver will continue for five more years.”

CCC is a large non-profit organization, founded in 1979 in Portland, OR, that serves people experiencing or vulnerable to homelessness by providing health
care and recovery services, housing, and employment services. In the last year, CCC helped more than 13,000 people, most through our 11 Federally Qualified
Health Center (FQHC) sites that offer integrated behavioral health and primary care. For more information, visit centralcityconcern.org.